Over the past five years, Plainfield High School has transformed its theater program, looking to fill every spot in the building’s 1,000-seat auditorium.

This year, those at the forefront of the school’s dramatic renaissance are pushing the boundaries, aiming higher than ever before with the spring production of “Willy Wonka.”

“We like to go big,” said Plainfield High’s choral music director Brian Stevenson. “If someone says, ‘You can’t do that,’ we say challenge accepted and we go full bore to get it done.”

In this case, big is an understatement.

Between the elaborate sets, costumes, royalties, music, special effects and more, the show is costing upwards of $20,000. And more than 200 students are involved with “Willy Wonka.”

The production’s two directors, Stevenson and fellow teacher Kevin Mariano, are the ones leading the charge.

“We started out with the dream to bring a sense of pride to the students at this school,” Mariano said.

“It’s all about the kids,” Stevenson said.

Students from throughout the district are involved, from toddlers and elementary schoolers who are playing Wonka’s band of orange-skinned, suspender-clad factory workers, the oompa loompas, to middle school students performing in the ensemble.

But it’s the high schoolers who are integral to “Wonka” — from the tech department, which made the sets, printed the tickets, designed and printed T-shirts and posters; to the consumer science department, which designed and made candy bars and is in charge of refreshments; to the music department, which has 17 band members participating; to the visual arts department, which is lending its help to the tech crew, lighting and cameras; to students assisting with hair and makeup, production, and, of course, serving as actors.

The 17-year-old is playing tech-obsessed Mike Teevee, and he’s also the set design/construction student adviser.

“I’m not sure which I like more: the acting or the set construction,” he said.

Beaudoin helped bring to life Wonka’s chocolate waterfall, gobstopper machine and the other factory elements, all of which are colorful, imaginative — and actually work.

“I just want the audience to feel like they’re inside of the factory when the curtains open,” he said. “I want them to gasp when they see it.”

And with a river of chocolate for the actors to take a boat ride on, spinning gears and cogs adorning the stage border, enormous golden tickets that light up and more surprises in store, audiences are sure to be impressed.

“We’re going for flash,” Stevenson said.

If that’s not enough to get a reaction, Wonka-goers will certainly gasp when several students go airborne.

Page 2 of 2 - Stevenson said they hired the same company who works with Cirque du Soleil to fly four of the actors, adding that, at about $7,000, it’s the single largest expense for the show.

“Who’s going to believe that we’ve got kids flying and water pouring on the stage?” he said. “It’s just unbelievable.”

In order to pay for this larger-than-life show, the high school is using the proceeds from last year’s “Annie” ticket sales, got help from the Board of Education and solicited donations.

One fundraising method in particular has proven both appropriate and successful.

The school was hoping to sell about 500 Wonka chocolate bars, with both the wrappers and the treats themselves designed and produced in-house by consumer science students.

So far, nearly 4,000 of the candy bars have been sold, including 10 that have golden tickets allowing the holder free entrance to the show.